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CEW Beauty Insider

NO HIGH—BUT LOTS OF HEMP It was only a matter of time before someone would find, and fill, the whitespace for marijuana-infused skin care among the massive sea of beauty products now available. With ever growing information on the positive health benefits it can offer—and thanks to the new laws allowing it to be legalized—it’s not surprising that eye, face, even foot creams made with the stems, seeds and stalks of hemp would address aging and other skin related issues.

That company is CBD For Life. “CBD stands for cannabidiol, the compound in cannabis that’s supposed to be therapeutic without getting you high,” said Julie Winter, COO of the independently run, women owned-and-operated business that has recently created a handful of skin care products that are 99 percent pure CBD.

“Two years ago we saw a few products that people were trying to create that contained hemp,” said Julie. “But they either didn’t look attractive, seemed as if they were made in someone’s garage, or the ingredients weren’t as natural or organic as one would hope. We knew we could do better and create something as natural as possible while offering authenticity, efficacy and real results.”

Presently, their nine products include a lip balm, face and body cream, eye cream, body cleanser and a pain relief spray, all of which are 95 percent natural and free of GMO’s, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde and artificial coloring. Prices range from $17 to $35.

The business was started with $700,000 in 2015 by founder, owner and CEO Elizabeth Stavola. About 49 percent of the company equity is distributed among key players on the team. Since their soft launch last November at a tradeshow in Las Vegas, CBD reached just about $200,000 in top line sales. And though they are still looking for distribution, the company’s website, www.cbdforlife.us, accounts for 60 percent of sales, while 40 percent are derived from wholesalers.

“Since Vegas, sales have increased dramatically, so we are now using a distributor out of Kentucky,” said Mollie Twining, the company’s account manager. “And, we hope to see a profit in three years as every dollar earned will be plowed back into marketing.”

To make that goal become a reality, the company is aggressively targeting their marketing and public relations. Aside from hiring chemists, scientists and a factory, which is based in New Jersey, CBD has added a publicist and a social media specialist to their group.

The company is taking their visibility seriously, too, and intends to get their products into the right hands. Recently, they partnered with New Beauty magazine to provide three, full-size products, which will go into their sampling boxes. They’re looking at doing similar offerings with other partners as well.

“We’ve sent products to more than 40 influencers and bloggers, and we’re doing direct sales, trade shows and benefits, to generate word of mouth,” Julie added.

“We post on Facebook, which is promotional and giveaway focused, and Instagram, which is lifestyle based. We also tweet, and are now concentrating on Pinterest.”

Part of their three-year plan is to hit the mainstream market, which is not unrealistic considering the company sees itself as first-to-market in this newly created and somewhat untapped category.

“We want to be known as the first and best, and we believe that CBD is going to be a desirable component to beauty and pain management products in the near future,” said Mollie.